In which I meet Gerry, Bear and Edie (and miss 2 trains)

Here is how the day started: Yep. That's what I saw at the T station. Missed the 8:36. Figured I'd wait for the 8:55 instead. What the hell.

I had part of the paper, a magazine and a book. Dropped the paper and the book onto the wet pavement, picked up latter trying to figure out how to dry it without wiping it on my: hands, coat, skirt, stockings. No worries. A young woman in jeans and a jacket saw me holding the book between (figuratively) thumb and forefinger, marched over, grabbed it and said, "I'm wearing work clothes. Here." Then she swabbed it across her jean-clad thighs. What a sweetie! (Though I was kind of embarrassed.)

Pittsburghers are nice that way. (Oh, and a gentleman also picked up my newspaper. Seriously, I was not only late this morning, but a total klutz. And I wasn't even carrying coffee.)

So.

Finally Downtown, and even though I am looking forward to having a closer stop once construction of the North Shore connector is done, I will miss getting off at Wood Street. Because walking from there, I get to see this cool, white terra cotta-tile clad building on Liberty Avenue (left and detail at right). Interviewed (very badly) for a job there once, long ago. Still like the building.

The day hums along. I work. Drink coffee, go to the gym, work some more and ask my boss if I can leave a bit early to start my weekend. (Off Friday, woo hoo!).

Passing the Fairmont, I spot Edie, the hotel's canine ambassador, inside. I've been a wanting to meet her, so in I go. Edie proves elusive, trotting off to meet guests having drinks, including Gerry (pronounced Gary, she tells me) and Bear (true names, seriously). Gerry works for the Pittsburgh Public Theatre. Bear has very long hair and looks like an actress. Gerry says I look familiar and then we all agree I look like Tina Fey.

I had followed Edie to their little lobby nook, we exchange pleasantries and find that my friend Sharon is a mutual acquaintance.

Edie wanders off and I say my goodbyes to G & B and a staffer offers to take my picture with Edie.

Aren't we adorable!?

However.

My little diversion means, again, at the end of the day, I arrive at a train station only to see the caboose (figuratively again) disappearing into the distance.

That's OK. I got to meet Edie and Gerry and Bear.

Monday bookends

The middle of my Monday can be summed up thusly:

F
Three letters follow.
Do the spelling.

Now that that's out of the way, let me just say the beginning and end, for a Monday, were pretty darned good.

Not in order of importance: First, I broke my rule and ran for public transit and made it morning and evening. Thank you to the driver of the morning train, who waited. Thanks to luck for letting me make the evening train.

Second, a very light blanket of fog greeted the dog and I this morning on our walk, offering a lovely backdrop to the black bones of bare trees in my neighborhood and its park. It was so beautifully quiet, just the clicking of Twist's nails on the pavement. I love the starkness and stillness of mornings like these; the whole is made even more beautiful by the last golden leaves still hanging and the warm greens of pines and hemlocks.

Seedpods, dried goldenrod, moss on logs and water dripping from eaves and over stones. I'm such a crank that none of those are nearly enough to carry me through the winter. For one day, though, they will more than do and thanks to whoever is in charge of creating the scenery that makes me happy.

The picture is of a creation that's totally artificial: The Christmas tree in the street level lobby of the really lovely Fairmont Pittsburgh hotel, taken on the way to a good Monday bookend. The hotel has really pretty public spaces, including a museum-quality display of medicine bottles, porcelain doll heads and other early 20th century detritus unearthed during construction.